Welding apparatus



W. G. ABBOTT, la.

WELDING APPARATUS.

APPLlcATluN FILED rfa. 5* |918 Patented July 29, 1919.

TH! CDLUMIIA PLANDURAFM co.. WABmNnI'N. D. C.

Cil

WILLIAM GEORGE ABBOTT, JR., OF WILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

WELDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed February 5, 1918. Serial No. 215,488.

To all 't0/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. ABBOTT, Jr., a citizen of the lUnited States of America, and resident of Wilton, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Welding Apparatus, of which ther following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for welding radial members into wheels and more particularly to apparatus for weld ing turbine blades to the shroud ring` of a turbine wheel.

The usual method of welding turbine blades to the shroud ring oi turbine wheels has been as follows: The blades are first secured to the hub or central disk of the wheel by welding or in other suitable manner. The shroud ring is4 then fitted over the outer ends of the blades in position to be welded to the blades. The terminals of av suitable .source 'of electrical-current are `held against-'the -hub or central disk and shroud ring respectively and current is transmitted between the terminals through the `shroud ring, blades and hub, in series.

`Ther outer :terminal is successively held against the shroud ring at theend of each blade for the purpose of welding a single blade at a time by causing the current to How through a sin le blade at a time. However, instead of owing through a single blade the current branches and flows through a lurality of `blades in parallel. Moreover. al ter one or more blades have been welded they aord fpaths of lower resistance by virtue offthelr-welded connections with the shroud4 'ring and the current is shunted through the' welded blades in large measure. Consequently much ditliculty has been exeriencod `and many'defective turbine wheels f avelliesulted@V A -f :Itis the object of thepresentinvnntion to provide-e paratus for quickly and` effectively well-ding turbine blades or the like to afshroudfring or the like, for preventing the current 4from being shunted thriouh .welded yblades and tor overcomingiot er disadvantages Aof rior methods of welding turbine blades. (gther objects of the invention are to provide a paratus in which the wheel can be, rotated a out its axis into position to weld theblades successively, in. whichA the partsmay be readily adjusted to wheelsof different` sizes, in which the fblades. Vare damped-between terminal means, .in which both terminal means may be controlled from the same position, and in which either the ring terminal means or the Wheel or both may be moved along tho line of the blade to be welded.

Still further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanyin drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top p an of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same embodiment; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

The particular embodiment of my invenY tion illustrated in the drawings comprises a base B having a wheel support S and a terminal support S mounted thereon. The wheel support comprises a block having an upwardly projecting 'axle upon whichthe wheel W is mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane, Aa lock nut l'bein provided to hold the wheel onthe'axle. T e supporting block S has a tongue 2 tting in oove 3 in base B which serves to guide t e block along the base. A screw 4 journaled in base B and threaded :into tongue 2 serves to reciprocatc the/support S along the base when rotated by handle 5.

Two terminal means arranged to contact respectively with a blade of the turbine wheel and with the shroud ring are employed. The terminal means contacting with the blade comprises two opposed jaws 6 and respectively, disposed above and below the turbine `wheel and adapted to clamp a 'blade therebetween `as shown in Fig. 3. The terminal means contacting with the shroud ring comprises an elongate electrode 8 reciprocatablymounted in support S so as to bemoved radially of the wheel into' and out ott'V Contact -withthef shroud ring -R,. ,the forward end ef the electrode 8` having a surface Yadapted telit against the outer periphery of4 the shroud ring. In order to reciprocate the electrode Sinto and out of contact with the shroud a pinion 9 is provided in mesh with rack teeth onthe lower side of the electrode. Pinion 9 ismounted on shaft 10 extending' through support 4S sind a handle 11 lis tothe outer end of shaft 10 toactuate' the pinion.'

Jaws 6 and 7 are mov'wbly supported through the medium of rods 'lil-and 1-3 upon the forward ends of links 14 and `15 pivted 94.16 and 17.011' support S andbalse B mis secured on theoterieird of shaft 23 for rotating` link 21. Thus, the 'links 20, `21 and 2L. constitute a toggle which is adapted to lo niove the jaws- G and 7 into and out of contact with aA blade b of the turbine wheel when thc linlc21 is moved to and from dead center by handle 24. When the link 21 approaches the dead-center position shown in Fig. 2` the jaws 6 and 7 clamp the blade therebetween and when the linkl reaches dead-center the jaws are lockedin clamping position.

In order to accommodate the links controlling jaws 6 and 7 the support S and base B are recessed as shown in full lines in Figi. 3r and in'dotted linesin Fig. 1. The recesses are oli'set at 25 and 26 to formshoulders and the links 14 and 1.2i are'bent ever the shoulders so that the jaws 6 and 7 lie in the same radial plane as electrode 8 while the mechanism for actuating the jaws is disposed at one side of the electrode 8.

The forward terminal lend of' electrode 8 is preferably insulatedxfrom the rear end thereof by a: blocl of insulation 26 andthe jaws 6 and 7 are preferably insulated from rods y12A and 113 by similar blocks of insulatiohlS-and 19. The source of current (not shown)' is then connected to the terminals through conductors 27 and 28.

In operation the turbine Wheel, comprising the central disk D, blades already secured to thedisk, and shroud ring R fitting over the outer ends Aof the blades, is mounted en support S. The support S is adjusted along the guideway 3 by meansl of handle 5 until the jaws 6 and 7 are opposed to the circular path of blades Z5. The Wheel is rotat-ed until a blade is disposed between the jaws B and 7, and thel jaws are clamped to the blade by thmwing handle 24 nto'the position shown* inFig. 2. The electrode 8 is then reeproeated Ainto contact with the pe- 5u ufphery of the shroud* ring and current is transmitted threu'ghl the' conductor 27; electrede v81,- sinoddiingflit, across the juncture betweenv the ring and blade, :throughy the bade rb to the jaws 6 and 7, and thence to eerrcmefbrF 28. Inasmuch asithe terminals Contact `wirt-,lf the rin vand* bla'd'eA immediately adjacentthe junctur between the'two parts the current is forced to l'ow directlyacross 'the jfunure, @hereby t0 weld-the blade lilo 6o 'thern After che blade is welded, the terminas are with'drawnaid the Wheel is 'rdbatedaintil *the* next `bladeis brought betwseivthe jaws; etc.` I y un the 'event that "ii-.f becefrfes nesessar er cally this may bc accomplished by inserting (or removing) Washers under the wheel. In weldig"bl'des in'tb a Wheel'having a plurality of rows of bladesone or both of the electrodes may be curved or offset so as to extend between the blades of one row into con'tac't' with the blades of anothe"rbw.

What I` claimis:

l. A pparatus for welding radial members to the rim of a wheel comprising means for rotatably supporting the wheel to rotate about its'axis, terminal means adapted to be moved transversely of the plane of rotation of the wheel into contact With `a radial membcna terminal member arranged te contact so with the rim-at the end ofthe radial member, andmeans for producing' relative movement betweensaid Wheel andterminalmember along theline of said radial member.

' 2. Apparatus' for Welding turbine blades 85 tothe shroud ring oi' a turbine wheel tcornprising means for clamping a turbineblitde, andt means cdntacting with the shroud ring' at` the outer end of said blade, wherebycur rent may be transmitted between said two J0 means across the juncture between the blade and shroud ring.

Apparatus for welding turbine blades into turbine wheels comprising means for rotatably suppbrting' a turbine Wheel to ro- 95 tate about its axis', a pair of terminall members disposedl on opposite sides ofthe v 'lane of rotation of' the wheel, a pair of inks pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on opposite sidesA ofsaid plane to swing transversely of said plane, each link being connected to one of said terminal members at one end, and toggle mechanism connected between the opposite ends of said links for simultaneously clamping the terminal {members against the opposite sides of a turbine blade 'so that current mayr be transmitted through the terminal `rner'rbers to theftubine blade andl thence across the jnncturebebween the turbine blade and the Wheel.

4.. Apparatus for welding turbine blades tothe shroud ring of a turbine Wheel comprising means for rotatably supporting a turbine wheel' to rotateI about itsaxis, terinitial means adapted to be moved irrt@y and out of contact with a turbinefbla'dle,1 and terminal means` arranged to 'be moved into and out of' contact withl the Shroud ring near 'the outerend of said blade, whereby the turbine blades may be successively welded' to the shroud ring;r by current-transmitted through* the said twoy terminal-meansabrbss the junbturebetween the turbine blades and shroud v ring.

5. Apparatus for welding turbine 'b'la'dcs tothe shroud ring of af'turbine alf'heell comprsin'g` 'means for rotatably supporting a turbine wheelto rotateabeut its airis, a "termina'liadaptedi to: be moved into and 'out of `colita@ with 'a' turbine blladcgfd' aftetillinal 130 arranged to be radially moved into and out of contact with the periphery of the shroud ring at the end of said blade, whereby the turbine blades may be successively Welded to the shroud ring by current transmitted through the said two terminal means across the juncture between the turbine blades and shroud ring.

6. Apparatus for Welding turbine blades to the shroud ring of a turbine Wheel comprising means for rotatably supporting a turbine wheel to rotate about its axis, terminal means arranged to lbe moved transversely of the plane of rotation of the turbine Wheel into contact with a turbine blade, terminal means arranged to be reciprocated along the radial line of said blade into contact with the periphery of the shroud ring at the end of said blade, and means for reciprocating said supporting means along said radial line.

7. Apparatus for welding turbine blades to the shroud ring of a turbine wheel comprising means for rotatably supporting a turbine wheel to rotate about its axis, termi- Gopiel o! this nal means arranged to be moved transversely of the plane of rotation of the turbine wheel into contact with a turbine blade, terminal means arranged t0 contact with the periphery of the shroud ring at the end of Said blade, and means for reciprocating said supporting means along said radial line@ 8. Apparatus for welding turbine blades to the shroud ring of a turbine Wheel comprising a base for rotatably supporting a turbine Wheel to rotate horizontally, a supporting arm extending upwardly from the base at one side of the turbine Wheel, terminal means arranged to contact with a blade of the turbine wheel and with the shroud ring at the end of the blade respectively, and means mounted on said supporting arm for moving said terminal means into and out of contact with the turbine blade and shroud ring respectively.

Signed by me at Wilton, New Hampshire, this thirty-first day of January, 1918.

WLLIAM GEORGE ABBOTT, J R.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

